Pages

This week's meal plan is going up a couple days late, but I'm glad to be back in the groove. We had April Vacation last week and as great as it was for the boys, I am looking forward to getting back on a schedule. We started baseball, plus hockey and art class start these next couple weeks. Throw in my work schedule and the hub's work travel -- I think we are in big trouble if I don't have a solid plan for the week.

Sunday: Pulled Pork Stuffed Sweet Potato, Mandarin-Avocado Salad with Lemon-Poppy Seed dressing
*This was my first time making this recipe. Sooooo easy and yummy. No need to save this for the weekend, it is easy enough for a quick weeknight meal! Scroll down for the recipes.

In search of a simple, delicious, hearty, sandwich worthy, homemade bread? Well, here it is: Homemade Whole Grain Amish Bread! Take a look at your store-bought bread ingredients list... How many ingredients are in there, how many ingredients can you actually pronounce? Making your own bread is easy once you get the hang of it and all you need are a few simple ingredients!

This week's FMCC should have been renamed Yummy Club, because all these recipes were so delicious! I'm addicted to the Lime-Coconut Balls -- perfect for an after work-out snack (forget the packaged energy bars, these are amazing!). The chowder was an instant hit with all the husbands --unfortunately my hub was out of town, and it was all gone when he returned (oops, I'll just have to make some more!) My kids love the cream of oats with a little brown sugar and cinnamon, and they like to top their yogurt with the strawberry sauce.

We made everything in about 2 hours. So easy and so much fun! Without further ado... here are the recipes.

You voted and here it is! Homemade Hazelnut-Coconut Spread... rich, creamy, delicious. Perfect for sandwiches, toast, oatmeal, fruit dipping, the possibilities are endless. Thank you to everyone who cast a vote on my Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

I have been dying to get this post written, mainly because I am currently obsessed with the chickpea burgers. My friend, Tammy made them and posted a photo on facebook... As soon as I saw them, I knew they would be perfect for FMCC. Nothing better than finding an uber-healthy, delicious recipe! Thank you, Tammy!

I am so thankful Dawn helped me out this week and took over 100% of the FMCC duties:) It was a crazy week for my family between work, the kids (hockey tryouts!), and general life craziness, I didn't have time to shop or do much planning for this cook day. So Dawn took the reins and knocked it out of the park! As always, we had so much fun cooking together and testing the recipes. We couldn't stop eating the burgers, but it was all so yummy!

Don't forget, you can save sooo much money by cooking your own chickpeas. Simply rinse dried chickpeas and place in your crockpot. Cover with water, 1 inch over the top of the beans and cook on low 4-6 hours until cooked through. You can freeze in 2 cup portions (equal to 1 15 oz. can) for up to 4 months. For more information on cooking your own beans, check out this post on Kalyn's Kitchen.

Definitely a little late with the meal plan this week... If you follow me on facebook, instagram, or twitter you may have seen my post on the Fresh Mama Freezer Challenge and the first couple meals for the Freezer Challenge. I have to say, I love instagram! So much fun looking through all the hashtags and photos --basically endless inspiration:)

With the weather slooowly warming up, I've been stepping away from the winter comfort food. This dish is perfect as we transition from Winter to Spring. Although simple to throw together, the flavors combine beautifully for a gourmet flavor. Perfect for a potluck or dinner guests!

If you have never cooked with fennel, I insist you make this. Before I joined the CSA, I never thought I would like fennel. As a bona fide licorice HATER (no offense to licorice lovers), I assumed fennel would make an entire dish taste like licorice -- blech. So, I'm thankful to have discovered fennel through my CSA a few years ago, because now I love it! In stir-fry, caramelized with onions, or sliced in salads, yum, yum, yum! The subtle fennel sweetness is the perfect addition to the basic lemon-kale recipe. Delicious!